Monthly Archives: November 2015

This is the first Thanksgiving without our Alex and you know what’s funny? What I remember are the little funny things she used to do such as “helping” Cynthia put away the turkey. Why did she do that? Because Cynthia would feed her some turkey while she was putting away our leftovers. To be quite honest, I am not that big on turkey, but Cynthia and I liked to get it because we knew that the one that was going to get the most enjoyment out of it was Alex. Yes, Abby got some turkey too.

I love the above picture because Cynthia was squeezing the living days out of both of us and you know what? That made me happy. These are just a few things I am grateful for:

Cynthia, my spouse, and our new furry kid Abby

The fact that we are all together, a little sad because Alex is not with us, but happy for all the 13 amazing years we had with her

Abby, our 7 month old Beabull, is nothing like my Alex, but believe it or not I am glad they are so different because it gives me the opportunity to grow as a person and as a dog trainer. Here are some things I’ve discovered about Abby:

Abby loves all dogs and people equally

Anything on the floor is fair game to her

She is food oriented

She sleeps through the night without a problem

She enjoys attention from anybody

I truly was not looking to get a puppy, but you know what? I think a puppy was just what I needed. I am taking Abby everywhere I can in order to get her used to different people and environments. She used to be afraid of the following:

Trucks or vans that made a lot of noise

Dishes – when I was clumsy and dropped them

Stairs – she’d whine every step of the way, literally

Black cars – some of them, not all

We are working on all the things that make Abby fearful and so far so good. Avoiding the things she is afraid of will never give her the opportunity to be calm and relaxed.

Abby is hesitant to approach new things, most puppies are, and when that happens I encourage her to do it by pointing, touching, and/or using treats. She is food motivated so that’s a plus. We’ll be exploring new areas as times goes by.

Abby gets plenty of exercise, but I noticed something very interesting the other day. We took her to Petco and when we got home she was exhausted. Then I remembered that smelling a new place, for dogs, is learning so mentally she was tired.

Regardless of whether you have a puppy or senior dog, make sure that you fulfill your canine companion physical and mental needs. Enjoy your weekend and go out and explore your neighborhood.